The present invention relates generally to kitchen utensils, and is particularly directed to a kitchen utensil of the type which both contains liquid (such as soap) and pushes refuse into a kitchen sink garbage disposal. The invention is specifically disclosed as a garbage disposal xe2x80x9cplungerxe2x80x9d that is placed into the opening of a garbage disposal up to a predetermined distance, but is prevented from being inserted past that predetermined distance by a stopper member, and which exhibits a removable lid to dispense a liquid contained therewithin.
Kitchen utensils, used to push refuse into a kitchen sink garbage disposal, are fairly well known in the art as disclosed by way of example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,427,636 to Seifert, U.S. Pat. No. 3,765,275 to Johnson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,080 to Lindley, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,642 to Shands. For instance, the Shands device merely provides a spherical knob for the user to grip while using the device, which does not, however, allow a user""s hand to be in a position to employ a substantial gripping posture. Similarly, the Seifert device provides a handle only for the user to hold, and does not provide a knob portion to prevent the user""s hand from slipping off the device. The Lindley device does not include a structure which specifically prevents the fingers of the user from entering the garbage disposal.
The conventional devices that push refuse into a kitchen sink garbage disposal could easily be improved to eliminate some of their disadvantages. It would, therefore, be advantageous to provide a garbage disposal plunger that manifests improved gripping characteristics and is convenient and safe to use around working garbage disposals.
Accordingly, it is an advantage of the present invention to provide a garbage disposal waste removing apparatus having a handle portion in conjunction with a knob portion which allows the user to employ a tactile posture that provides better gripping capabilities for convenience of use and added safety.
It is another advantage of the present invention to provide a garbage disposal waste removing apparatus having a stopper portion that is large enough to prevent a user""s hand from entering a sink garbage disposal unit to add a further safety feature to a handle portion and a knob portion which allow the user to employ a tactile posture that provides better gripping capabilities.
It is a further advantage of the present invention to provide a garbage disposal waste removing apparatus having a handle portion in conjunction with a knob portion which allows the user to employ a tactile posture that provides better gripping capabilities for convenience of use and added safety, and further includes a plunger portion with a cylindrical shape exhibiting a substantially constant diameter that is long enough to push refuse into the sink garbage disposal, yet is mated to a stopper portion that limits the effective length of the plunger portion so as to not contact the blades of the garbage disposal unit.
It is yet a further advantage of the present invention to provide a garbage disposal waste removing apparatus having a handle portion in conjunction with a knob portion which allows the user to employ a tactile posture that provides better gripping capabilities for convenience of use and added safety, and in which the knob portion also contains a lid that provides access to an interior chamber containing a liquid, which thereby allows the user to dispense the liquid (e.g., a dishwasher detergent) from the interior chamber.
It is still another advantage of the present invention to provide a garbage disposal waste removing apparatus having a stopper portion that is large enough to prevent a user""s hand from entering a sink garbage disposal unit to add a further safety feature to a handle portion and a knob portion which allow the user to employ a tactile posture that provides better gripping capabilities, and in which the knob portion also contains a lid that provides access to an interior chamber containing a liquid, which thereby allows the user to dispense the liquid (e.g., a dishwasher detergent) from the interior chamber.
It is still a further advantage of the present invention to provide a garbage disposal waste removing apparatus having a handle portion in conjunction with a knob portion that also contains a lid that provides access to an interior chamber containing a liquid, which thereby allows the user to dispense the liquid (e.g., a dishwasher detergent) from the interior chamber, and further includes a plunger portion with a cylindrical shape exhibiting a substantially constant diameter that is long enough to push refuse into the sink garbage disposal, yet is mated to a stopper portion that limits the effective length of the plunger portion so as to not contact the blades of the garbage disposal unit.
Additional advantages and other novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned with the practice of the invention.
To achieve the foregoing and other advantages, and in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an improved garbage disposal plunger device is provided that, in a preferred embodiment, is constructed of molded plastic so as to be lightweight yet of sturdy construction. The plunger device is designed to push refuse into a standard kitchen sink garbage disposal unit that grinds waste and sends it down the drain pipe. The device includes four major sections: a knob portion or member, a handle portion or member, a stopper portion or member, and a plunger portion or member.
The knob portion/member has an overall rounded appearance and is used to prevent the human hand of a human user from slipping while gripping the plunger device. The handle portion/member acts as a shank between the gripable knob and the plunger, and has an outline that exhibits a mildly curved convex shape. The gradually shaped convex surface of the handle, in conjunction with the knob portion, is designed to enhance the gripping capabilities of the human user while also providing a surface shape that aids comfort when gripped by the user""s hand.
The knob portion exhibits an outer contour shape that exhibits a maximum cross-section near the end of the plunger apparatus that is proximal to the human user (and distal from the garbage disposal unit), yet smoothly changes to a minimum cross-section at the very proximal end portion of the plunger apparatus. In addition, the knob""s maximum cross-section smoothly changes to a smaller cross-section at a location where it meets said handle member in their adjacent relationship. This smaller cross-section of the knob as it meets the handle portion provides a contoured surface area that is easily gripped by the fingers of a human hand. Moreover, the maximum cross-section in combination with the smoothly changing minimum cross-section at the very end of the knob provide a different contoured surface area that mates well to the palm of a human hand. This shape enhances the xe2x80x9cgripabilityxe2x80x9d of the plunger apparatus by the user""s hand.
The stopper portion/member is located approximately at the mid-portion of the plunger device. The stopper portion manifests a larger diameter as compared to both the handle portion and the plunger portion, and is used as a xe2x80x9cstopperxe2x80x9d to prevent the plunger portion of the device from contacting the blades of the garbage disposal. Also, the stopper portion prevents the human hand of the user from entering the garbage disposal.
The plunger portion/member is used to push the refuse into the garbage disposal unit. The plunger portion is mainly cylindrical in shape, having a substantially constant diameter. In the preferred embodiment, the main diameter of the plunger portion is sized to fit into the standard kitchen garbage disposal unit opening, with a small amount of clearance for an easy insertion fit.
In an alternative preferred embodiment, the garbage disposal plunger device has a lid at its top portion (i.e., at the handle""s knob) that can be removed to allow access to an interior volume which contains a liquid. This interior volume can run essentially throughout the entire inner surfaces that make up the molded walls of the device, and the liquid contained therewithin could be a dishwasher detergent, for example, or some other liquid that is useful in the kitchen. Other useful liquids could include hand soap or a sink cleanser, for example. The lid could be a snap-on/snap-off cap that is hinged, or that literally snaps completely off, or it could be a threaded design that twists on and off, which is the embodiment illustrated below.
Still other advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in this art from the following description and drawings wherein there is described and shown a preferred embodiment of this invention in one of the best modes contemplated for carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions will be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.